238 SHOULDER LAMENESS. 



veterinary profession, it is notorious enough to those in it, that no 

 two kinds of lameness have so frequently been confounded as foot 

 lameness and shoulder lameness ; the best explanation we can 

 offer of which seemingly unpardonable error in judgment, probably, 

 is to be found in the fact of there being " nothing to be seen" to 

 account for the lameness either in one or the other. " The usual 

 way," says Solleysell, " to know whether the grief be in the 

 shoulder or foot, is to observe whether the lameness be increased 

 or abated by exercise ; for if it be in the shoulder the horse will 

 halt least while he is heated with riding ; but if in the foot he will 

 halt most when he is ridden." This, so far as it goes, is good. But 

 we must have other marks of distinction. We must observe the 

 gait in the trot ; mark whether the lame limb be carried outward 

 or not. Next we should inquire if there be any pointing of the 

 toe, any hurt of the foot, or any signs of shelving in or rimminess 

 of the wall of the hoof, symptoms which, in the absence of the 

 sweep of the limb in action, would at once draw our attention to 

 the foot. Furthermore, the same horse may be made to perform 

 movements especially trying to the shoulders, such as running 

 round a circle while held in hand, or passaging, or backing, some 

 one or all of which may possibly more perceptibly elicit the lame- 

 ness or expression of pain. As for " wasting of the shoulder," a 

 symptom by farriers and grooms in general laid great stress on, it 

 is at best but a remote consequence of lameness, which may be in 

 the foot or leg, and not necessarily in the shoulder : the explanation 

 of the *' wasting" being simply the lessor diminution from absorp- 

 tion of the fleshy fibres of muscles, in consequence of not having 

 their healthful exercise, and of being compelled to be laid up in a 

 state of inactivity, or even absolute repose. 



Lastly, we must bear in mind, that the knee joint may be the 

 hidden and mysterious seat of lameness, and that we may be refer- 

 ring that to the shoulder or foot which all the while lies concealed 

 within or about the knee. Mr. Arthur Cherry's papers, inserted 

 in The Veterinarian for 1845, instruct us how to search for 

 diagnostics of this. Verily, there is, we are sorely afraid, after 

 all, about the seat of lameness — " more things than are dreamt 

 of in our philosophy." Nothing but steady observation, and 



